sses That Last : the Details
by Danielle Anderson
FLAGLER COUNTY ABSTRACT COMPANY :
Expertise , Excellence and Attention to Detail
Jesse H . McKnight III can trace his company ’ s history back to the earliest days of the county in 1917 . Flagler County Abstract Company is the oldest operating business still in existence , found in Book 1 , Page 1 of the state corporate papers in Flagler County , he says . An abstract and title company does vital research to make sure a real estate transaction is legal . The company provides the lender , insurance company and buyer with information about any issue surrounding the property .
With a photographic memory and an attention to detail like few others , the James Joyce published author and Kent State University graduate says they take a deep dive , researching back to the land grants from the King of Spain in the late 1700s , when overseeing projects for clients .
Co-founded by Rudolph Peterson and McKnight ’ s uncle Claude Varn , one of the county ’ s earliest movers and shakers , there ’ s always been a family member at the helm or in ownership of Flagler County Abstract Company .
Bought out by O . F . Alford in the 1920s , Alford remained owner until the 1970s according to McKnight . His mother , Audrey McKnight managed the company during this time , and shortly thereafter while under ownership of the Charles Creal , she bought fifty percent of the company in 1973 . In 1982 , the McKnight family purchased the remaining shares , retuning full ownership of the Flagler County Abstract Company to the founding family .
As a Stetson educated attorney , Varn ’ s expertise was invaluable in the early days as scribes for the Flagler County Abstract Company copied by hand documents and records from the courthouse , samples of which Jesse McKnight proudly has to this day .
Jesse H . McKnight III
“ Every member of my family went to the court house , looked at the recorded instrument and did a take off , came back and it got typed up and that was an abstract of the deeds , the mortgages or the judgments , court cases or whatever it might be , got recorded ,” recounted McKnight .
“ That became abstracted , and we have all of that from day one . Not only that , we ’ re the only people who have the state papers . This became very important ,” he said , when his mother oversaw the abstracts during ITT ’ s development of Palm Coast .
Their reputation for over a century of excellence has ensured that as time goes on and technology changes the industry , it ’ s the McKnight ’ s meticulous attention to detail and accuracy that has enabled the business to grow from a single office in Bunnell to locations in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast over the years .
“ He ( Claude Varn ) believed in doing things the right way . It has to do with making sure that if you own a piece of property it ’ s certified , it ’ s guaranteed , it ’ s assured and it ’ s based on evidence ,” said McKnight , carrying on the family ’ s legacy .
JUNE 2021 | 9 |